Spiral Path (Night Calls Series Book 3) by Katharine Eliska Kimbriel, Cat Kimbriel Read Free Book Online

abruptly satisfied my
curiosity. “I was frantic when you disappeared and we couldn’t find you. I had
to do something with my time.”
    “ You
left me the hems?”
    Marta raised an eyebrow. “You got more sleep last night than
I did. I left three for you. Two are cotton and linen, and easy—rolling the
silk one will be good practice.”
    Silk?
    How were we going to pay for all these things?
    Well, there wasn’t much more to say except to thank her, and
I’d already done that. I just had to grow into someone she spoke of with pride.
    “ Are
you coming with me when I meet Cousin Esme?” I really didn’t want her slipping
off while I kept my cousin busy.
    “ Of
course. She will be nothing like you expect, and as full of surprises as a
Beltane fire. I want you to feel like you have reinforcement!” Smoothing a few
stray tendrils of hair away from my face, Marta gave the fireplace a last look
and then opened the door and gestured for me to follow her.
    The lit candle died as we passed it.
    I will always follow her.
    She has that effect on people.
    o0o
    The walls of this floor were made of wood painted white or
whitewashed, and that pale color kept the hallway from being gloomy. All
candles were positioned on hinged brackets above our heads, glass chimneys
protecting them from drafts and us from flame. I looked sharp as we walked, but
I did not see dust on the bronze arm or grime on the glass. Clearly my cousin
was a formidable housekeeper—or she had an army of helpers keeping up the
place.
    I hoped none of them were slaves.
    The third candle chimney caused me to look twice.
    Did I see something look back at me?
    I stopped and stared at the candle a long time. A steady,
yellow flame, nothing out of the ordinary . . . .
    “Allie, come along!”
    I hurried to catch up to Marta.
    We reached a staircase that was wider than the hallway. “This
is the family wing of this mansion, which also houses students and servants. If
you keep walking down that hall, you will reach the central part of the house.
That central staircase takes you to the guest rooms, the professors’ private
workrooms, and the room warded for major spell casting. You won’t need that for
a while yet. For now, this staircase takes you to your world.” Taking hold of
the smooth, square banister, Marta moved quickly downstairs.
    Only Marta would guess that this place felt like a strange
forest to me. I had no landmarks, knew none of the noises . . . .   I looked around as I walked
downstairs and realized that I was looking for someone. I had the strangest feeling that I was being watched.
    Our destination was close by. Pausing before a door, Marta
murmured: “This is the north room. During winter Esme uses it for private
conferences with students and their families, and as a gathering place in the
evening. You do not have to curtsy, but you may if you’d like, it’s proper and
formal for a young girl.” With that, she knocked three times and then opened
the door.
    We walked over polished oak floorboards into a room with
high walls painted robin’s egg blue. There was a mural painted on the ceiling
and the designs carved around the fireplace were beautiful, but I wasn’t going
to gawk like someone going to see the lions.
    A cheery fire was burning, the occasional flame of blue or
green hinting at mineral salts sprinkled over the seasoned firewood. My gaze
skipped past a sewing chest, cloth, and hoop frames to the windows. They were
huge, and clear, and I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful those windows
were to me! I wanted to walk over and look through that glass. It was a
physical aching, remaining next to Marta and keeping my feet nailed to the
floor. Finally I turned my head, facing toward the fireplace and the slender
woman seated near the screen.
    Cousin Esme was closer to Marta’s age than to my mother’s
age, but she looked no older than mother’s eternally beautiful older sister
Aunt Sunhild. Dark brown hair twisted